iMac Knockoffs Barred by Injunction

Apple has announced that Judge Jeremy Fogel of the U.S. Federal Court in San Jose has stated his intention to issue a preliminary injunction barring Future Power and Daewoo from manufacturing, selling, or distributing the E-Power computer, which Apple says copies the design of the iMac. Apple has filed similar lawsuits against eMachines (in the U.S.) and K. K. Sotec (in Japan) and the Tokyo District Court has issued a preliminary injunction barring K. K. Sotec from manufacturing or distributing the eOne iMac look-alike. Although the Future Power/Daewoo injunction doesn’t apply to the eMachines case, it’s also before Judge Fogel, making another injunction likely. Implicit in these initial court victories is agreement from the courts that Apple’s curvaceous and colorful design for the iMac is unique and deserves legal "trade dress" protections. (See "A Case for Color" in TidBITS 492 and "Look Different: Excellence in Apple Design" in TidBITS 430 for more about the iMac’s design.)